Dr. Beth Schiavino-Narvaez to Lead UVA Partnership for Leaders in Education

The University of Virginia has named Dr. Beth Schiavino-Narvaez as the next executive director of the nationally recognized UVA Partnership for Leaders in Education (UVA-PLE), a program that has helped transform school systems serving millions of students across the country.

Dr. Beth Schiavino-Narvaez

“I am deeply honored and excited to join the UVA Partnership for Leaders in Education as its new Executive Director,” said Schiavino-Narvaez. “The impact PLE has made in advancing leadership and transforming educational systems is truly inspiring, and I look forward to building on this strong foundation with the remarkable team and faculty.”

A joint venture of the UVA Darden School of Business and the School of Education and Human Development, UVA-PLE is widely regarded as a national model for combining leadership development and educational strategies to improve system, school and student performance and better position students for success in life.

Over more than two decades, the program has partnered with over 200 districts and 950 schools across 35 states. Experts from UVA’s graduate business and education schools and successful practitioners work directly with superintendents, principals and other system and school leaders to assess conditions, develop action plans and involve stakeholders at all levels.

Among recent participants, 50% achieved double-digit gains in math or language arts within three years, significantly outpacing national trends. Overall, UVA-PLE has supported school systems serving more than 3.5 million students, with peer-reviewed research demonstrating its impact.

Schiavino-Narvaez brings more than 30 years of experience in education, most recently serving as Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). There, she led a global system of 161 schools across 11 countries, which became the highest-performing school system in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Throughout her career, including leadership roles in Springfield, Massachusetts; Montgomery County, Maryland; Hartford, Connecticut; and DoDEA, Schiavino-Narvaez has championed the importance of leadership as a force multiplier in school improvement and development of leaders who translate vision into meaningful results for communities and underserved students.

“PLE’s mission to enhance leadership capacity and improve student outcomes resonates deeply with my own passion for educational excellence,” she said. “I am eager to collaborate with dedicated educators and leaders across school districts to create meaningful change that uplifts communities and expands opportunities for all students.”

Schiavino-Narvaez will assume the role on 1 May 2026, following a nationwide search. She succeeds William Robinson.

After supporting the leadership passage, Robinson will transition to a new role with the UVA Darden Sands Institute of Lifelong Learning Executive Fellowship focused on the intersection of education and the workforce. In this role, Robinson will incubate new ideas and partnerships while continuing to support PLE strategy, philanthropy and coalition building and serving on the Virginia Board of Education.